


Lost Lights

by LittleSisterCharlie



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Airport AU, Greek Mythology - Freeform, I hope, M/M, Timmy and Armie are the same age, fairy tale AU, these tags will make sense when you read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28518516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSisterCharlie/pseuds/LittleSisterCharlie
Summary: What immortals have fractured, let mortals repair.
Relationships: Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer
Comments: 13
Kudos: 46
Collections: CMBYN December Fest 2020





	Lost Lights

**Author's Note:**

> Tardy to the party! This is my contribution to the DecemberFest - a huge thanks to Sam for being so gracious and keeping it open for me (because even with the best of intentions, life happens). 
> 
> A huge thanks to ThatAJ who beta'd for me. Also a big thanks to everyone that cheered me on and helped me when words were so hard (specifically OnlyAStoryTeller, IWorshipYou_Oliver, ColoradoCharmieGirl). I'd like to be like each of you when I grow up. 
> 
> And here’s to each of you- 2020 was a dumpster fire and we are here now. The resilience of people never ceases to amaze me and give me hope. May your 2021 be filled with all the reminders that you deserve good things x
> 
> I really love this fic - it's been so fun to write. I hope you enjoy it too x

In the Greek legends, The Titan Helios would ride across the sky each morning in his stallion-drawn chariot, bringing about dawn and the sun. His twin sister, Selene, the personification of the moon, would beautifully choreograph the tides, the months, the stars and comets. And their youngest sister, Eos, was the bringer of dawn. It is said that each day, Eos would rise from her home in Oceanus and fly east across the dark sky, flapping her wings so fast they would spark and leave streaks of blues and greens behind her. Guided by the moon and stars of her sister, Eos would eliminate the darkness each morning and announce the arrival of her brother , who brought forth the sun and therefore, a new day. 

For thousands of years, the cosmic family lived in peace, each attending to their celestial duties. Selene would create symphonies in the tides of the moon, Helios would brighten and warm the world each day with the sun, and, thanks to Eos’ tireless travels across the eastern sky, humans on Earth were able to witness the phenomena they called, The Northern Lights. Glowing ocean hues weaving around the stars in a brilliant, unexplainable dance.The swirling streaks of blues and greens that filled the night sky became muses for the ancient Greeks, inspiring songs and stories attempting to describe and explain their beauty and their magic. 

Until.

One night, just on the cusp of dawn, Eos was making her way toward Helios’ home in the furthest east of the universe, when she noticed the sky was pitch dark. There was no moon nor stars to guide her way. Confused, Eos called out for her sister. Sending her colossal voice across the heavens, she searched and searched for Seline, but to no avail. In her entire existence, Eos had never traveled the path to her brother without any guidance from the celestial bodies. Reminding herself she had flown this path to bring about the new day for a millennia and she could do this in complete darkness, she ventured on. It took her longer than she expected, because she doubted her way, and when she arrived, her brother was waiting for her, anger apparent on his face. 

“What took you so long?” Helios shouted at his youngest sister, arms raised in frustration. He jabbed a finger near her face. “Why have you kept me waiting?”

Eos was taken aback. Lifting one hand up to block him and placing the other atop her chest, she responded, “Dear Brother, I could not see on my journey to reach you. I stumbled my way through the disorientation and got here as quickly as I could. Do not be upset with me; this is all Selene’s fault.”

Helios watched his sister’s pleading eyes. “Well, where is my twin, little sister? Why did she not bring about the lights in the night sky for you?”

Helios took a deep breath and with his thundering voice, called out, “SELENE. COME HOME RIGHT NOW.” Soon after, Selene appeared, looking unusually disheveled. “What is it, my brother? Why have you summoned me?”

Stepping in front of her brother, Eos approached. “Dear sister, what happened last night? I began my journey to welcome dawn but the skies were silent and concealed in obscurity. Where were your stars? Your planets? Where was your moon?”

Selene stared at her sister, a faint red creeping up her marbled features. “I, they,” she stuttered. “It was just one night. I didn’t think it would matter.”

Eos eyed her sister carefully. “What were you doing that you thought your duties, appointed to you by our great father Zeus, didn’t matter?” 

Selene looked between Eos and Helios. Tilting her head down, but with a small smile appearing, she replied, “I met someone.” 

Helios snapped his gaze up at his twin. “You…. you _met_ someone? Tell us.”

“He is a shepherd, and the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on,” Selene sighed.

Eos scoffed. “You were with a _human_? Instead of us? Selene, you have a duty to this family. You have never strayed. Helios,” she rolled her eyes, “is impulsive and takes lovers as he so desires. But you have always stayed true to our calling.”

Helios crossed his arms over his chest, booming, “How dare you, Eos! You challenge me when I am the god of the sun! Without me this world would never see light!”

Eos stepped up to her brother, hand on the hilt of her sword. “You think you’re so special, brother?” Her words dripped with loathing. “Who is the one who beckons you to bring forth light? To welcome the sun?” Raising her voice to shout, “Who is the one who tirelessly flies across the cosmos to remind you to do your job? You are lazy and selfish and reckless and I pray to Zeus you lose your position! You have never been worthy of it.”

Eyes bulging out of his head, Helios drew his mighty sword at his youngest sister. Pointing his blade toward her chin, he sneered, “You are nothing more than an errand child and we do not need you. Father Zeus only gave you this task so you would feel important, but we all know the truth. The sun and the moon are vital, but dawn? That is part of the sun! I welcome the dawn, not you. And you will regret ever suggesting otherwise.”

Eos drew her sword in response, holding firm against Helios’ blade. As the clash of metal echoed across the heavens, she turned her head and spat at her sister. “This is all your fault. If you would have just done your job I could have followed the stars instead of being left in the abyss. You always leave me out and now you have chosen a fucking human over your family! I will NEVER forgive you for this!”

Selene gasped as she drew her sword. “Little sister, I have put up with your _almighty purpose_ for a millennia. I have followed my orders and orchestrated the night sky _perfectly_ and you would THINK after all this time you could fly your path without my stars holding your hand! I deserve happiness and a FUCKING NIGHT OFF and I will not apologize for either!”

The three Titans faced each other, wide stances forming an obtuse triangle as swords pointed at their rival. The tension exploded in silvery fireworks overhead as thick, heavy gobbets of supernova fell off their blades, dripping like molten glass down across the darkness. Screaming in anger, Eos leaped forward, swinging her longsword overhead and down atop Selene. The goddess of the moon raised her blade in defense, effectively blocking the attack. 

Sparks of stars from the steel continued to rain down over the cosmos. 

Helios lunged forward toward Eos, instinctively protecting his twin. Eos countered the thrust while attempting to push her sister away. It felt like two against one, but that only spurred on Eos to fight harder. Filled with a holy rage, she swung diagonally down to the left toward Helios’ leg, then up to the right, aiming for Selene’s arm. Each of the twins pivoted and countered with their own attacks. While Selene was focused on disarming her sister, Helios was blinded with fury, unable to focus on anything other than retribution. 

The clashing was so grandiose, so turbulent, the father of all gods, Zeus stepped off his throne on Mount Olympus to see about this celestial disruption. Peering into Oceanus, Zeus sighed as he watched his children squabble so needlessly. Zeus witnessed Eos screaming at the twin titans, each of them roaring back. Shaking his head, he muttered, “Do they not understand their connection? Have they forgotten their bond was forged in the raging storm of my namesake planet?” 

The great battle continued for decades, or perhaps days, or maybe mere minutes. Helios and Selene continued their attack, while Eos defended herself with counter-attacks. Constantly aware of each of their positions, Eos moved in a sort of dance where she could defend against one while countering the other. Swiftly moving away from Helios’ blade, Eos slashed across, barely missing her brother’s side. Rolling to avoid a jab, she kicked up, knocking Helios backward a few steps. Thrusts and lunges were met with ducking and swerving, giving way to Eos deftly maneuvering around to Helios’ side, blade grazing his arm. Metal clashed, voices boomed, and the sky around them burst in white flashes. Zeus and the spectators from Mount Olympus watched the engrossing battle, gasping and groaning with each movement, wondering when -- and how -- it would end. 

Selene pressed forward, skillfully maneuvering her blade back and forth, up and across, moving faster and faster. A great warrior, Selene had won more battles than stars she created in the sky. Eos attempted to block the attack, but Selene was too fast and her sister stumbled, losing her grip on her weapon. Selene knocked her sword out of her hands while they stared at each other, residue of bright flashes lingering in the air. So focused on her sister and plotting how she could recover, Eos did not see Helios in her peripheral. Lunging forward from the corner, he drove his sword through her chest and all stood still.

Eos gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. “Brother? How… could you?” Eos could hear the muffled cries of Selene in the distance, as she fell to the ground. Breathing labored, her wings spread out suddenly, pulsing as if attempting to push life into their goddess. Swirls of green and blue suddenly danced out of her wings, spiraling above Eos’s struggling body, only to spark and stutter until they died out, and with them, the rosey-fingered goddess of dawn.

Zeus sighed in disappointment. Shaking his head at the stubbornness of his children, he uttered an enchantment over the scene.

“ _And in the insolence of the celestial Titans, a shadow shall fall over the dawn until the spirit of the goddess is reunited. Only then shall all return as it was. What immortals have fractured, let mortals repair.”_

That night on Earth, a storm raged across the sky- unparalleled in history of its size or magnitude. Meteorologists were unable to explain the phenomena, as, for nearly twenty hours, the sky across the entire Western world was covered in flashes of lightning, the ground-shattering roars of thunder heard in every home. Experts could only call this an unprecedented, international thunderstorm, as there had never been a natural event quite like this before. 

That night, two women went into early labor. That night, a woman on the West Coast gave birth to a baby boy with golden fuzz adorning his head and astonishingly blue eyes, as though the cerulean sea had been kissed by midnight. That night, a mother on the East Coast held her newborn son in her arms, transfixed by a head of dark, moppy curls and eyes so green all the hues of the forest in spring must have been threaded together to create these soft, striking orbs.

For thirty years, the skies have been tinted in grey. On any given sunny, cloudless day, even in the desert or above the water, the sky is, at its brightest, perpetually a muted blue, as though the entire zenith is covered in shadow. Perhaps the strangest phenomenon is that no one has seen the Northern Lights - no one in North America, Scandinavia, even up in Siberia - since the skies turned grey. Children have grown up hearing stories that feel more like legends of the ‘Sunrise Wind.’

  
  
“Final boarding call for Flight 8575 Denver to Los Angeles. Gates will be closing in ten minutes.” Armie sharply inhaled at the overhead announcement as he stepped off the train, running through the airport toward his gate. _How could I cut it this close,_ he wondered, while tightly gripping his backpack straps in his hands, offering hurried “I’m so sorry’s” and, “Excuse me’s” as he wove through the crowded terminal. He used the moving sidewalk along with his long legs to boost him ahead a few gates, knowing that every second counted. He passed the obligatory newsstand and gift shop, picking up speed as he rounded the corner. He was counting the signs, only four gates away. Only three gates away. _I’m going to make it,_ he thought, when <SMACK> something hit his chest, causing him to stumble and lose his footing, falling over. Armie gasped, sucking in air as he reoriented to being on the ground.

“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, shit!” Armie heard fragments of a voice scattering frantic apologies across the terminal floor, and stood up. He was stunned, momentarily forgetting how to breathe as he stared into quite possibly the most intriguing eyes he had ever seen. Swirls of green that seemed more fitting in a forest canopy in late Spring than in a pair of irises. Armie had been told his entire life how strikingly blue his own eyes were, hearing his grandma’s voice echo in his mind, “The sparkling brilliance of a sapphire can’t hold a candle to your twinkling eyes, Armand,” but he thought, _nothing compares to these vibrant emeralds._ Armie reminded himself to blink, exhale, and use his words, and as he responded, “It’s okay, it may have been my fault,” he was able to notice just who belonged to this compelling gaze. 

The man looked to be about Armie’s age, except where Armie was tall and broad-shouldered, this stranger was shorter and slender. _He looks small but fuck if he isn’t solid,_ Armie thought to himself. Where Armie had short, straight hair, his gaze kept twirling around the chestnut curls sweeping across a scrunched forehead and down a marble column of a neck. With pale, perfect skin, this person seemed a total contrast to Armie’s naturally tan complexion and two-day-old stubble.

The two men stared at each other for decades, or perhaps days, or maybe mere minutes. Then Armie remembered he was about to miss his flight. “Oh my god I’m so sorry but I have to go. You’re sure you’re okay? Not hurt at all?” Armie hurried, reaching down to grab his dark nylon and leather trimmed backpack, and looked at this beautiful stranger one last time. 

“No, no, I’m fine, but I’m so sorry again!” Armie heard the voice call after him, feet already moving him toward his gate. He had lost track of time, unsure if he would arrive to a closed door and an, “I’m sorry, Sir, but you’re too late.” When Armie stopped in front of his gate, trying to subtly catch his breath, there was no line to enter, no crew member scanning boarding passes. There were, however, passengers lingering around the uncomfortable and limited quantity of seats, some pacing around, some on their phones looking distressed, some watching out the window at who even knew what. Armie found a gate agent and asked if he had missed his flight. “Oh no, Sir, they announced overhead just a few minutes ago. All planes have been grounded for at least the next hour due to the sudden storm.” 

_Storm?_ Armie thought, but followed the agent’s finger pointing to the television monitor, where the weather person was displaying the blues and greens of a storm moving across the Doppler map. The closed captions stated a “‘Colossal Anomaly’ seemed to appear out of nowhere across the entire United States. Meteorologists are stunned by what should be a typical summer thunderstorm, yet it spreads over the entire Western Hemisphere.” Feeling somewhat confused but mostly relieved and sure, if he’s being honest, casually annoyed at having to wait a bit longer to get home, Armie walked past the windows and glanced out at the suddenly marbled-black sky, found an open seat and took out his phone from his bag.

Except. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me” Armie muttered to himself. Rummaging through the entire bag he was _sure_ was his, he realized its contents did not belong to him. _Not my phone, Not my laptop, not my copy of_ _The Mythology of the Night Sky,_ _although I’d like to read that… focus up Hammer!_ Armie admonished himself. This bag clearly belonged to that green-eyed stranger he ran into just minutes ago. Realizing that they had identical bags - _Weird coincidence_ \- he needed to find him and switch them back before the storm passed and his flight was back on. Armie searched through the pockets until he found a wallet - _Oh shit that guy has my wallet_ \- and found a name. “Timothée Chalamet?” Armie tried his best not to butcher the name. “Where are you heading?” He murmured. “Where will I find you?” “Where is your boarding pass?” Unable to find the ticket, Armie assumed it was downloaded on his phone. _Just like mine_ , he sighed. 

Taking Timothée’s license in hand, as if it were some sort of compass, Armie started to backtrack his steps to their first meeting. _Talk about a collision course_ , Armie chuckled lamely at himself. With neither perfectly-tousled curls nor enchanting green eyes in sight _,_ he continued through the terminal. Grateful for being shaped as one long line with both ends of gates separated by a food court and various shops, Armie walked slowly from his end to the other, looking around as he went. 

Feeling pulled somehow to move beyond the restaurants and shops, he hopped on the moving walkway that adorned the center of the terminal. Scanning through the right hand side, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Just then, he turned to his left, and locked eyes with the vibrant emeralds he had already come to know -- and miss. Armie stood still, continuing to stare as their paths crossed once again. Green eyes _-Timothée. His name is Timothée_ , Armie reminded himself, was standing on the opposite moving walkway. Timothée's head turned just as Armie mirrored the movement, neither of them willing to turn away nor blink. 

Outside there was a clap of lightning followed by the roar of thunder that shook the windows.

Remembering _that thing_ about his backpack, Armie turned and started walking against the flow of displaced passengers and their carry-on luggage so he could speak with the stranger he felt weirdly connected to. He lifted a hand and said, “Hey, excuse me, Timothée? Sorry; I hope I didn't screw up your name.”

Armie kept his pace slow in order to match Timmy’s walkway pace. Vaguely aware of other people shaking their heads or muttering disgruntled comments toward him, he tried to keep to the side but couldn’t really be bothered about anyone’s inconvenience. For reasons he could not explain, Armie was simply drawn to Timothée.

“He- hey! You pronounced my name perfectly, actually. No one ever gets it right, usually. But uh, you can just call me Timmy. Timothée feels really pretentious,” Timmy chuckled awkwardly, ducking his head. 

Armie smiled, trying to remember to blink. When Timmy looked up again, there was a faint dusting of pink across the planes of his face. Seemingly unable to tear his gaze away from Timmy, Armie could have sworn his green eyes were shimmering. _Maybe it’s the fluorescent lights._ They both came to the end of their walkways and stepped off. Timmy led them to his gate, both of the men sitting across from one another near a large window. 

“So, uh, do we have the same bag?” Timmy asked.

Armie chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I think we do. What are the odds, right?”

Timmy held up the bag with the recycle symbol on the logo and extended it toward Armie in a trade. “It’s funny, my friends give me hell for owning Prada. They always quote at me that line from Legally Blonde when I’m carrying this around. Even when I explain how it’s sustainable and high quality and exactly what I need and how ‘last season’ doesn’t necessarily count for backpacks, they still tease me. Assholes,” Timmy said affectionately. 

Laughing (and cataloguing how Timmy rambled before endearingly cutting himself off), Armie responded, “Yeah my friends do the same. And the same quote, actually.” _That’s weird,_ he thought. “Even though this bag is perfect for travelling and it holds all my shit exactly how I need, so it’s perfect for work. Plus I just like it,” he shrugged, feeling the warmth of a blush creep up his neck. 

“What is it you do for work?” Timmy’s soft and curious eyes met Armie’s. 

Right outside their window came a huge strike of lightning.

“Holy shit, that was incredible! Right, my job? I’m an Astrophotographer.” Armie started. He started to explain what that meant, as most people had no idea, but - 

“Oh my god, are you serious? You photograph the celestial activity at night? That is amazing! Would I have seen your work anywhere?” 

Armie watched Timmy’s legs bouncing and felt as though his energy was jumping between them. Armie felt a small electric current course through his chest. Outside, the sky imitated his sensation, a brilliant shock of white branching across the graphite sky. 

“Yeah, I do mostly freelance but I have a few long-standing contracts with some magazines, including National Geographic. I, uh, was actually featured last month in their special about the “shadow-sun” and what the moon and stars look like right before sunrise.” Armie loved his job and was proud of his work, and yet in telling this beautiful stranger about it, that blush kept creeping up his scruffy jaw to the bridge of his nose. “You know about astrophotography?”

Timmy’s eyes were bright and focused. “Are you kidding me? This is the weirdest thing. I’m actually an Astrophysicist- well, that’s my degree anyway. I can never get enough of the night sky. And I can’t believe those photos were yours! I’ve actually been studying the shadow phenomena for, well, I guess all of my career? It was my thesis in grad school. Oh my god, there’s a photo of yours in that edition where you captured the stars and, fuck, the full thunder moon with such clarity and, if I remember correctly, another of the meteor shower. Shit, your ability to capture some pretty intricate details was truly remarkable. You must have a gift.”

The blush was taking up residence atop Armie’s cheeks now. Rubbing his jawline, Armie cast his eyes down and smiled. “Thanks, man. I— I can’t really explain it, but ever since I was a kid I have been drawn to the night sky. Like, I memorized the constellations and where and when you could see them by the time I was seven.” Armie laughed gently, shaking his head. He glanced back up at Timmy.“I mean, who does that?”

Timmy’s eyebrows shot up toward his hairline. With eyes wide as saucers, he replied, “Um. I did that. I did exactly that! Also by age seven! I’ve never met another person, and I certainly didn’t know any kids at the time, who memorized them. Wait, are you talking the forty-eight major constellations or the eighty-eight officially recognized by the I-A-U?”

Armie leaned forward, eyes bright and bold, knees a centimeter away from touching Timmy’s. “Of course I mean all eighty-eight! This is so wild, man,” he exclaimed. “Tell me about your work. You said you had a degree in Astrophysics?” 

The airport seats rattled as another zigzag of blinding white filled the black marble sky, amplified bass drum booms echoing immediately after. Timmy swiveled his head toward the activity, eyes drawn up in curiosity, before turning back to Armie. 

“Huh. That’s so strange. So, yes. Obsessed with the stars and planets and basically any cosmic event since childhood. Studied astronomy in undergrad and then astrophysics in grad school. I am now the Production Manager at the Hayden Planetarium, in --”

“-- In New York, yeah! Of course I know it. And your museum, man. It is inspiring.” Armie shook his head in wonder. “Okay sorry, I cut you off! Tell me. What does _The_ production manager at my favorite planetarium do?”

Timmy looked up at Armie, eyes surprised and glowing. Another shocking _CRACK_ outside demanded attention, some onlookers gasping, others shouting in surprise. Timmy gasped in shock, noticing his Cerulean eyes seemed to shine a hundred prisms.

Blinking rapidly, Timmy responded. “Your favorite? That’s, I mean. Wow.” Timmy took a slow breath. “Okay, so essentially, my role focuses on bringing educational programs that are entertaining so we can draw in crowds. I get to be a big part of how we create stories about the sky, design programming for different audience populations, and keep each event relevant, tying in present events with the legends of the past.”

Armie lips drew up in a wide smile, pointy canines on full display. “Oh wow, Timmy. That’s -- god, that sounds incredible. Inviting people to learn and care about the sky is crucial to our sustainable life here. And there are so many stories about every planet, every star. I know how successful the Hayden is - I’ve been lucky to have had a few photos commissioned by them -” Armie blushed and ducked his head again, “ - So, uh, just know what you do is really important.” 

The two men stared at each other, eyes connecting once more. Reflections in the window of intense green meeting vibrant blue, and for a moment, the superimposed colors seemed to jolt around the lighting streaks outside. Suddenly, the overhead system sounded throughout the airport, pinging to grab attention.

“ _Attention all passengers, due to the unsafe weather conditions, all flights have been temporarily suspended until further notice. Please check with your gate and/or ticket agent for lodging details.”_

Passengers stood up, making their ways to various gate agents and even back to the main concourse. Timmy and Armie listened for a moment to the cacophony of grumbling adults, worried murmurs, luggage and stroller wheels bumping over the floor cracks, and sleepy children asking questions or crying. 

Armie and Timmy both stood up, looking around and back to one another. Armie thought it was strange that every time he seemed to lock eyes with Timmy, there was a jolt of lightning outside. Feeling the long day of rushing around to get to the airport, he told himself it was just his imagination. 

He opened his mouth to speak, when Timmy beat him to the punch. 

“So, uh— I guess you’ll want to go see about a room for the night? Since it looks like none of us are flying anywhere,” Timmy gave a small laugh that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Armie noticed the vibrant greens had dulled to mossy ponds. 

“Actually,” Armie started, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was just going to hang out here. I mean, maybe the storm will let up enough and they’ll open some flights, and if that’s the case, I’d like to be here for it.”

“Oh!” Timmy exclaimed. Brows strewn together, he continued, “That’s — this is so weird. That’s what I was planning on doing. Also. Already. As well.” Timmy’s neck and cheeks were smattered in a rosy blush. 

While it had seemed, for a moment at least, the storm had retreated a bit, right after Timmy’s confession the storm raged on, as if giving a vengeful response. Ivory streaks filled the sky, imitating daylight, followed by thunderous booms crashing like a drum line finale.

Both men turned to look outside, transfixed by the terrifying symphony. Looking back at Timmy, Armie remembered what he had said. “Hey can I just—“ He paused and took a deep breath. “— Can I just say this is so wild? I mean, Timmy, have you _ever_ met a perfect stranger that you just _clicked_ with so easily? And not just that, but like, have you ever met someone— actually ran into them — and they have your _same_ bag, and work in the _same_ field?” He blinked away shimmering tears and cut himself off with, “Wait. Timmy. Can I ask? Why — what made you decide to stay in the airport? I mean, it’s risky, plus who wants to sleep on the airport floor when they could be in a hotel bed?”

The glow in Timmy’s eyes was back. With a gentle smile, he held Armie’s gaze, mildly aware of the storm now beating against the building. “That was lots of questions,” Timmy smirked. “First of all, no. I have never met someone like you before, and I have never experienced a night — or so many coincidences — like tonight. It’s almost as if —“ Timmy shook his head, scrunching his nose. “Anyway, but to your other question, well, it’s probably silly, but today is, uh, well today is my birthday. And, I can’t really explain it, but I just feel like I’m supposed to stay here.” Timmy gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “You must think I’m insane.”

When did Armie last blink? He had been watching every emotional flutter across Timmy’s face, grateful the slender man in front of him seemed unable to hide what he was really thinking. Every time their eyes connected, it felt as though there were a magnetic force keeping their gazes locked. And every time blue eyes met green, the bolts of lightning seemed to evolve into fantastic zigzags across pitch black sky, the claps of thunder like never-ending applause echoing in an arena. 

“Timmy,” Armie started slowly, “I don’t know how to tell you this. But,” his eyes bore into Timmy’s, “Today is my birthday too.” 

Timmy gaped at the taller man in front of him. He remembered to blink just before his eyes started to water. He spoke slowly, to make sure he understood. “Armie. Today... is your birthday too?”

“Yeah. August twenty eighth.” 

Timmy eyed him suspiciously. “What year?”

Armie narrowed his gaze. “What year for you?”

They responded in unison.

“Nineteen-ninety.”

Time seemed to freeze. Breaths deep as their chests moved in unison. A crash of lighting outside brought Armie back to reality. His skin tingled and he felt a little dizzy. “Timmy. I also had this feeling -- this _thing_ I couldn’t describe -- that told me I needed to stay here. I think that _thing_ … is you.” 

“Armie… do you want to take a walk?” Timmy’s smile shone as brightly as his eyes.

A surprised laugh escaped Armie’s mouth. “Timmy, I would love nothing more.” 

While the airport emptied, Armie and Timmy strolled through the terminal. They dove deeper into each other’s stories, uncovering so many similarities. While Armie grew up in California and Timmy in New York, their shared passion for celestial activity began almost at birth. Growing up hearing the stories of the Northern Lights, they each confessed to feeling intrigued and compelled at studying every facet of the night sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the vivid “Sunrise Wind.”

Armie shared, “That’s what got me into Astrophotography. I get to travel all over and find the places with the greatest activity during each season. It’s challenging to get clear shots, because of the cloudy filter that has settled over the sky, especially right before sunrise. I think that’s why I love it -- challenging myself to get the highest quality photo I can in a difficult environment. Oh my god but the best place to shoot, in my opinion, is the desert. My favorite is Joshua Tree. Camping in the middle of nowhere is already such a serene experience, but then the sky is so vast… it’s breathtaking at night. You should come with me sometime!” Armie realized what he said and quickly shook his head. “I mean, that’s -- you know, if you’d want to. Shit. Sorry, that was… that was a lot.”

Timmy warmly smiled up at Armie, placing his arms on his broad shoulders. “Armie. Take a breath. I think there’s something here and I think you feel it too, unless…” He shook his curls slowly. I would love to come with you to Joshua Tree. You can show me some tricks in getting those Nat Geo-worthy shots,” Timmy winked. 

The two men lost track of time as they continued to walk and talk. Meanwhile, the “Colossal Anomaly” pounded without respite, lightning shattering the sky merely seconds apart now.

While the storm continued its screaming, Armie and Timmy seemed immune to its chaos. They walked countless laps around their terminal, laughing and joking as they passed the now-closed restaurants and shops. Never before had either men shared the same sense of humor so freely with someone. Never before had they shared their deep fears and insecurities, not even with their closest friends. 

Armie felt sparks in his chest, echoed by the shivers in his veins when he looked at Timmy. 

When Timmy locked eyes with him, Armie felt at once electrified and settled. Feeling a slender hand graze his own, Armie intertwined their fingers. Holding hands, they made their way back to their -- Timmy’s -- gate, where they left their matching bags. 

Standing in front of a window where the sky looked almost snow-covered, lighting striking in such quick succession, Armie had to raise his voice to be heard over the continual thunderclap. 

Armie skimmed his hands up Timmy’s arms, past his marble-column-neck, and held the sides of Timmy’s face in his hands. Thumbs gently stroking his cheeks, he searched the emerald eyes.

“I know we have discussed this at length tonight. But. Have you ever just met someone, and you _knew_ there was something so special about them, you had to have them in your life? And you immediately knew you would do anything to be in theirs?” 

Timmy seemed to search every prism in Armie’s sapphire eyes, finding only sincerity. With a breath of relief, he leaned into Armie’s touch, feeling the warmth against his cheek. 

“Armie. I have _never_ known anyone like that. Until tonight. Until you. I can’t explain it but, our birthdays? Our bags? Our passions? It feels like. Like we were _destined_ to meet. You know?” Armie could only nod his head in response. Timmy continued, “And I know I met you just a few hours ago, but it feels like I have known you my entire life. As if I was just waiting to reunite with you. Does that make any sense?”

Eyes glowing, smile blinding, Armie said, “Tim. That’s _exactly_ how I feel. All night I have felt _pulled_ to you, and I don’t know why, but I know it’s you. It’s only you.” 

And with that, Armie leaned down, tilting his head ever so slightly. Feeling Timmy part his lips, Armie closed the space in a soft kiss, as if reacquainting with an old lover. Timmy swiped his tongue across Armie’s lips, seeking entrance to his mouth. Armie welcomed him, moving in a timeless dance.

Meteorologists had been live-tracking the storm all evening, commentating on its activity, every channel and newsfeed proclaimed the climax of the storm. The colossal thunder and lightning had been screaming for hours, but nothing compared to this moment. Every individual could feel the beating in their own chest, the roaring in their own ears. The sounds were deafening, the light outside blinding. People safe in their homes hid from the windows, fearing for their safety. Dogs and cats burrowed under blankets near their humans. 

When Armie and Timmy broke apart, their eyes were glowing. Deep blues mirroring vibrant greens, and later, witnesses swore they saw swirls of oceanic color fly through the window into the night sky. Immediately, the storm came to a halt, as the night sky was suddenly filled with a ribbon of blue dancing with streams of emerald, twirling in the space between the stars. Timmy and Armie gasped and said in unison, “The Northern Lights.”

In Eos’ restoration, Helios and Selene reconciled their stubbornness and pride. She forgave her siblings, and lifted the cloud over the daytime and nighttime. 

And while Armie and Timmy wondered if they had something to do with calming with the storm, they chose to focus on something much more important: becoming two halves of a whole. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to know what you thought - drop me a comment if you want :)
> 
> I'm LittleSisterCharlie on tumblr - come say hi!


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